Police break into Texas couple’s car to ‘save’ Yorkies

Dallas police used a crowbar to pry open the trunk of a Hyundai Sonata to save two yapping Yorkies locked inside the vehicle.

The problem? The mission caused an estimated $5,000 in damage to the new car, and the owners say it wasn’t necessary on a cloudy, 55-degree day when they were having a quick meal a block away, according to reports from the Dallas Morning News and WFAA.

John and Danika Shipman kept their two small dogs in the trunk, with the back seats folded down so they could poke their heads out, but rescue officials could not see them and chose to break into the vehicle. They kept the dogs overnight and charged John Shipman with animal cruelty and possibly thousands in fines.

“It seems common sense would be to first try a slim jim to open a door,” he told the Dallas station. “Second, if that doesn’t work, bust a window out. We’re talking a couple of hundred dollars of damage compared to $5,000 damage.”

The couple is asking the city to pay for the damage to the car. Dallas officials have defended their response to the incident.